Why are there so many aristocratic families in Hedong?
Because since history, this place has been one of the centers of Chinese civilization activities.
Why did it become the center of Chinese civilization activities?
In addition to its strategic location and pleasant climate, another important reason is that it produces salt.
Not only humans, but also beasts and other creatures cannot lack salt.
If the salt in the body is not replenished for a long time, the limbs will be weak and the spirit will be weak.
If the salt content in the body falls below a certain level, neurological symptoms and cerebral edema may occur.
If cerebral edema worsens, respiratory failure or even death may occur if brain herniation occurs.
The Salt Sea in Hedong has always been an important salt supplier in the Central Plains.
After Ji Han regained Hedong, he first slapped the local wealthy family until they almost suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, and then stuffed a handful of sweet dates into their mouths.
Now they are almost taming the local aristocratic families like dogs.
Otherwise, why did Hedong not respond at all when the wealthy Shangdang family made such a big fuss?
Without the support of the Hedong family, the Hedong salt smuggled to the east would naturally become increasingly scarce.
Of course, it is definitely impossible to say that it will become extinct. After all, as long as there are enough huge profits, there will always be people willing to take risks.
But no matter what, the amount of salt smuggled from Hedong is only 10% of the amount before, and cannot be any more.
To steal salt from under the nose of a former smuggler named Shi, one must be extremely wise and brave.
Therefore, in the past few years, the price of salt in Luoyang has been rising again and again, and even wealthy people find it difficult to bear.
Why did Sima Yi plan so hard for so many years, even if he took risks and sent out surprise troops, he still wanted to escape from the cage of Henan and Hanoi?
It was because food and grass were controlled by our own people, and strategic materials such as salt were choked by Ji Han, it was really uncomfortable.
If you don't think of a way, then you really have no choice but to wait for death.
It can be said that the ancient ferry crossing of Maojin Ferry has become a key place that holds the last breath of salt between Henan and Hanoi.
Therefore, the Wei army guarding the south side of the river was looking forward to a boat sneaking across from the other side every day.
On the one hand, we were always on guard against ships from the other side trying to force us across, which almost made us suffer from schizophrenia.
Just when the Wei army, which was guarding the new pass of Hangu, was looking to the rear, a caravan coming from the direction of Luoyang also happened to arrive at Maojin Ferry.
"Hey, Mr. Mi Lang? Why did you come here in person?"
General Wei, who was guarding the ferry, was a little surprised when he saw the leader of the caravan. He quickly stepped forward and said, "This time, could it be something big again?"
When Mi Shiyilang heard this, he smiled apologetically at General Wei, looked around, and did not explain.
As soon as General Wei saw the other party's appearance, he immediately woke up and said with a smile:
"It's me who talks too much, don't blame Mr. Mi Lang, don't blame me!"
Mi Shiyilang smiled again, as bright as a flower, which made people fall in love with him, but when he saw the other party raised his wide sleeves in salute:
"This time, I'm going to trouble the general again."
"No trouble, no trouble, I wish Mr. Mi could come here every day!"
After all, every time Mi Langjun's caravan comes to the ferry, the supplies it receives are always valuable.
Soldiers like myself would definitely not dare to get their hands on things like brown sugar and candles.
Only the nobles of Luoyang are eligible to enjoy it.
But as long as Mi Langjun's fingers leak something like salt, it is enough for the brothers at Fukou to support their families.
This Mr. Mi Lang is such a wonderful person!
This person is a retainer of the eldest princess's house and has contacts with many wealthy families in Luoyang City.
On weekdays, he is willing to cut corners and submit to others, and he can be honest with even people in the market.
The most important thing is that he is generous, very generous.
The garrison at the ferry would be very happy not only to see Mi Langjun coming in person, but even if the caravan under his name came.
The reason is still the same sentence: no other, bold, very bold.
No, within a few breaths of time when Mi Langjun and General Wei were saluting, several bills had already been handed into General Wei's hand under the cover of Mi Langjun's wide sleeves and robe.
General Wei's face didn't change, and he stuffed the note into his wrist armor very smoothly.
The movements are smooth and smooth, done in one go.
"Mi Langjun, when will the other side come over this time?"
After accepting the ticket, General Wei's smile became even brighter and he took the initiative to ask.
Mi Shiyilang shook his head with a smile:
"Who can say for sure? People coming from the other side are not as convenient as us. They can come over at any time."
As he spoke, he looked to the north, raised his chin, and sighed:
"Perhaps it is possible to delay it for a day or two, or even advance it two or three days. So every time we come here, we have to come in advance and wait."
Of course, coming here in advance is not only to wait for the goods, but also more importantly, to report to the garrison at the ferry.
Otherwise, if you deliver the goods from the other side, it will be regarded as a small job.
Hearing the helplessness in Mi Langjun's tone, General Wei smiled and persuaded:
"Why is Mr. Mi Lang like this? If you think about it differently, as long as you can still receive the goods from the other side, it means that the Western thieves will not think about attacking."
"So this product is delivered two days early and three days late. What does it matter? The important thing is that the goods can still be delivered. That is considered very good. What is there to be dissatisfied about?"
Hearing this, Mi Shiyilang pointed at General Wei and couldn't help laughing:
"The general can still speak."
Although he has no official position, at this time, he can be regarded as representing the face of the eldest princess.
Facing the general of the Wei army who did not have a high official position in front of him, there was no need to be too cautious.
In addition, even if the two of them are not familiar with each other, they are not strangers. They occasionally chat and joke in private, so there is no need to be too scrupulous.
Unexpectedly, when faced with what Mi Shiyilang pointed out, General Wei shook his head:
"I'm not comforting Mi Langjun, I'm also comforting myself."
Having said this, General Wei also looked at the opposite side with a little confusion in his eyes:
"What I just said is actually what I mean. If possible, I would really like Mr. Mi and your family to come here every day to pick up the goods..."
This time, it was Mi Shiyilang's turn to see the other party's psychology.
He stepped forward and whispered:
"General, there is no need to worry too much. In my opinion, what the general just said is very reasonable. The Han army should not come from there for the time being."
After a pause, he continued:
"General just now asked me why I came in person. In fact, there is no harm in telling the general."
Mi Shiyilang looked around, then lowered his voice again:
"I heard that Taifu has won a great victory in the north, Shangdang has been liberated, and people in Hedong are now unstable."
"So the people who cooperated with us took advantage of this good opportunity to build a big one and wanted to transport a large amount of goods."
"I was worried that the people below wouldn't be able to handle it, so I came over personally to keep an eye on it."
"Oh?!" General Wei raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and looked at Mi Shiyilang in surprise, "Is this true?"
Shangdang's recovery has long been spread.
But he is just a guard at the ferry and is not qualified to know the latest news ahead.
Not to mention that Hedong is still occupied by Western bandits. How could he know the true situation inside Hedong?
At most, he would just get superficial information from the smugglers passing by the ferry.
Even if he occasionally saw a spy who was suspected to be sent to Hedong by the imperial court, he would not dare to ask more questions for fear of getting into trouble.
So at this time, when he heard from Mi Shiyilang's mouth that people in Hedong were floating, he couldn't help but be a little dubious.
Mi Shiyilang didn't care when he saw his appearance:
"I also heard what the person who sent me from the other side said. As for whether it is true or not, we will know whether it is true or false when their goods are delivered."
As he spoke, he pointed to the guys behind him:
"But for this kind of thing, for a certain person, I would rather believe that it exists than believe that it doesn't exist."
"No, I have transferred all the people who can be transferred here."
General Wei looked along Mi Shiyilang's fingers and said suddenly:
"I see. I asked you why there are so many people here this time. Some of them look very strange!"
Mi Shiyilang noticed the direction the other party was looking in, and the smile on his face remained unchanged:
"I'm not afraid of the general's jokes. This time, I brought all my family background with me. Did you see that, that is the old man who has been with me since I was a child?"
"Unless it's a big deal that I'm not sure about, I never dare to ask him to come out."
General Wei nodded, his eyes finally passing over this person.
Being in the Wei Kingdom, he naturally understood that any family with some foundation would keep some guest ministers in case they could come in handy at the most critical moment.
The people he noticed, headed by the old man who seemed to have known his destiny, had a bulging bag on his waist, as if he was carrying a sharp knife, and they all had a bit of fierceness.
It seems that it must indeed be the family background of the man in front of me.
But he didn't care.
Not to mention these people, they are endorsed by the eldest princess’s palace.
Even if you are an ordinary guard of other people, it is normal to carry a knife and a sword.
After all, the people of the Wei Dynasty couldn't help but use swords.
These ordinary swords among the people have no way to deal with the spears and crossbows in the army, so they are not to be feared.
Moreover, this Mi Langjun was also sensible and did not let those people get close. He just asked them to stand far away to avoid suspicion.
"If Mi Langjun's wish is really fulfilled this time, then I will congratulate Mi Langjun in advance."
Mi Shiyilang had a meaningful smile on his face:
"According to the general's auspicious words, if I really get what I want this time, I will definitely express my gratitude to the general!"
"Hahaha……"
As soon as these words came out, even General Wei started to look forward to it. He only hoped that this time, the north would really send a big gift.
"Hahaha……"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Mi Langjun, I don't know when the other side will come over. Why don't you go inside and have a rest first."
"Lest I break the rules of the army and implicate the general, I can just set up a tent outside."
"Huh! Isn't Mi Langjun an outsider? If it were someone else, he would have broken the rules, but Mi Langjun is not an outsider!"
Maojin Ferry has been around since ancient times. There are small earthen cities on both sides of the ferry, which have been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.
Normally, the ferry is managed to collect vehicle and boat taxes.
During wartime, troops were stationed and inspections were carried out strictly.
It can be regarded as half army and half city. As for who can enter and who cannot enter, it is naturally up to the defender to measure himself.
Mi Shiyilang still had a somewhat embarrassed look on his face:
"Uh, then, would you like to, uh, thank you, General?"
“Please please please!”
"Rong, please give instructions to your servants first?"
"It should."
Mi Shiyilang apologized, then turned around and walked towards the old man he just pointed out. He tried his best to show a natural demeanor, but his words were extremely low:
"Mr. Han, I will enter the city first. You and your people will wait here. When someone comes from the other side, remember to notify me as soon as possible."
Han Long glanced at the small Tucheng passing by and asked with some worry:
"Mi Langjun, how about I accompany you in?"
Mi Shiyilang immediately refused:
"No, don't say they will agree. Even if they agree, there are too many people entering the city, and they might be more vigilant."
"While they are not suspicious now, let's proceed as planned. Don't cause more trouble. I'll just go in and investigate first."
The two of them couldn't talk for too long. Seeing that Han Long's attitude was firm, he didn't insist anymore and just nodded:
"Lang Jun, please be careful. If there is an accident, remember to send off the firework signal immediately. I will lead people to fight into the city and will definitely bring Lang Jun back to the Han Dynasty safely."
Hearing this, Mi Langjun felt a little moved in his eyes:
"It won't come to that."
Han Long wanted to shake his head, but he held it back to avoid being noticed by Wei Thief:
"I have been entrusted by the Central Protector to protect Mr. Mi Lang, so it is always right to be careful."
"Only when Mi Langjun is sent back to the Han Dynasty can the promise be fulfilled."
Hearing the word Zhongduhu, Mi Langjun was in a daze.
How many years?
At that time, he seemed to be just a captain, but now he was actually the commander-in-chief of the Han Dynasty's internal and external military affairs.
What happened back then seems to have happened not long ago, but I didn't expect that so many years have passed.
Really...time is not forgiving!
"Mi Langjun?"
"Oh, it's okay. I'll leave the outside matters to Mr. Han."
"Please rest assured, Mr. Mi, Sir, please also pay attention to your own safety."
Mi Shiyilang gave the other party a reassuring smile.
An Ran has been lurking in Wei for so many years, how could he still end up in a small earthen city?
Returning to General Wei, Mi Shiyilang smiled apologetically:
"This time, Lian X was a little uneasy and felt a little unsure, so he talked more to the elderly at home and asked the general to wait for a long time."
When General Wei heard this, he licked his lips. It seemed that the goods coming this time were really not to be underestimated!
Thinking of this, the smile on his face became even more enthusiastic:
"It's okay, Mr. Mi Lang, please."
"General, please go first!"
Goods smuggled from the north always arrive at night.
This approach is naturally to avoid the eyes and ears of idlers as much as possible, and it also means to keep this business going for a long time.
Watching the sky begin to darken, night falls.
On the other side of the river, at some point, several star points appeared.
"It's bright, it's bright, is it coming?"
"Keep your voice down and report to Mr. Lang quickly!"
Standing on the south bank, Han Long immediately asked others to follow him and light several firewood piles that had been laid out early.
As the fire burned more and more fiercely, after a while, small stars began to appear on the river, and then the stars seemed to become brighter and brighter.
These star points, guided by the fire on the south bank, are all like moths flying into the flame.
At this time, Mi Shiyilang had already trotted over like a whirlwind and asked urgently:
"how?"
"Mr. Lang, it's right. He should be here."
Han Long pointed to more and more stars on the river, "They should be boats."
"Very good!"
Before Mi Shiyilang could speak, General Wei, who was in charge of the ferry, answered.
But when he saw him stretching his neck and looking towards the river, he suddenly asked in surprise:
"Those lights are all ships, and there are so many of them?"
Mi Shiyilang was also a little surprised.
Fortunately, the cover of night prevented General Wei from seeing his expression clearly.
I only heard Mi Shiyilang take the initiative to say:
"General, it seems that there are a lot of ships coming tonight! This matter is of great importance. Let me pick up the goods here. General, please go back to the city first and let the soldiers prepare, just in case?"
"Very good!"
General Wei felt a little nervous when he saw so many star points representing ships.
After hearing what Mi Shiyilang said, he felt it made sense and quickly turned back to make arrangements.
"This... Mr. Lang?"
Seeing General Wei disappear into the night, Han Long was a little anxious.
Why do you still remind the thieves to be vigilant?